Comments on: Bishop to defend celibacy in debate two days before Pope’s visit

By: John Deery

John Deery — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:12:39 +0000

I need people to stand up and be counted. I have had so many private comments from people who have said that what I am doing with this debate is great, including some people 'high up' in the Catholic Church but are unable to comment in public. For all of you who can speak publically, please come along and do so.

Brian Eyre's comment to Marty is particularly relevant. He said:
'I cannot see how you can say that the disciples were celibates after they were called. Have you never read the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 9 v. 5 - 7 "Don't I have the right to follow the example of the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter, by taking a Christian wife with me on my trips"?
It's so clear from this that they continued to be married after they were called.'

I need people at the debate who can counteract so-called 'historical' comments. Come on all you professors and academics, get behind me!

John Deery
www.conspiracyofsilence.co.uk

By: Brian Eyre

Brian Eyre — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:55:31 +0000

I cannot see how you can say that the disciples were celibates after they were called. Have you never read the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians chapter 9 v. 5 – 7 “Don't I have the right to follow the example of the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter, by taking a Christian wife with me on my trips”?
It's so clear from this that they continued to be married after they were called.

By: justanotherparishioner

justanotherparishioner — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:21:29 +0000

EditorCT,
A priest is not holy because he doesn't have sex with a wife,he is holy because he strives, usually much harder than all of the rest of us to BE holy, and because he serves God, spreading the Gospel,' feeding his flock' shall we say if you insist on florid phrase for all statements.
The sacraments are rendered no less sacred because of his human weaknesses. The priests I have known and know now were fully paid up members of the human race, and I have never felt closer to God than when I've been guided through confession by a hand of experience, who has every faith in God's forgiveness, and his promise of eternal life for all.
I have no problem with celibate priests, whatever the reason for that choice. I do have a problem with the hugely talented, popular, and effective priests I know, with a calling obvious to all who are blessed to come into contact with their ministry being denied that which God surely intended us to celebrate, indeed that which we do celebrate very often amongst friends and family as a sacrament.

By: justanotherparishioner

justanotherparishioner — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 02:55:00 +0000

EditorCT,
I was rendered speechless, not a typical occurence in my life, to see after reading through the many tirades posted on this website that you are, like me, a woman...I am Hail Mary'ing as I write.
Please, please, I want to meet one of these 'happy priests' who finds the idea of married priests repugnant, names, one name, please...and no homosexuals-because that's not a level playing field.
Every priest I know is in favour of marriage, or celibacy, as a choice, ooh how crazy does that sound-it is bizzare that on an almost weekly basis in some large parishes that priests should be performing the sacrament of marriage, while all the while (according to you) knowing that they are distancing the happy couple from the life of Christ (as if we weren't all not worthy anyway!!!)
I was wondering since I now know you are not a priest (an obvious assumption to make considering you write with such authority on the subject), are you a Sister?
And could you, for those of us who don't have your way with words, put down on paper some thoughts about those opposing the motion, for the purpose of balance? A member of a highly secret organisation, who feels it necessary to keep it's own private wealth-gained in, well private-separate from that of it's 'fellow brother and sister' catholics, and whose members rarely reveal themselves to us lowy parishioners?
And a comedian...isn't he a football comedian? Tough competition Dr Beattie. And poor Fr John McGowan who seems to get a mention in one of the posts above as sex obsessed...isn't he a Carmelite? I don't think I'll go to the debate...I scrub up quite well and am currently single, he might jump me..

By: Brian Eyre

Brian Eyre — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:12:11 +0000

With relation to the article on Bishop Malcolm McMahon of Nottingham defence of celibacy two days prior to the Pope's visit I would like to submit my comments.
I am a Catholic married priest. I was happy as a celibate priest for 17 years, I am happy as married catholic priest for the past 27 years. I belong to the Roman Latin Rite.
I agree with Jack Valero when he says that no one is forced into the priesthood just as no one is forced into getting married.
Most married priests are part of the Eastern Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite in countries such as The Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and the Ukraine.
20% of all catholic priests in the world are married of whoom 150,000 belong to the Latin Rite.
One of the arguments against married priests is that they will be divided between family and pastoral committments. This is not true.
If you look at Lenin's term of office, it has been estimated that in the first ten years of his reign close on 250,000 priests and religious were put to death along with many lay christians. This witness of the Eastern Church priests gives more than enough assurance that married priests can be every bit as committed as celibate priests.
Ever since the day I got married I have continued to do pastoral ministry while holding down a secular job. I work in shanty towns and poor communities giving spiritual and human development assistance to these communities. I have not found that the sacrament of matrimony has hindered me in anyway in serving the people. My wife has been a blessing to me and thanks to her I am still active as a priest.
It can be seen and verified from all walks of life that the most demanding of employments succeed best with the help of a loving family.

Brian Eyre (Recife, Brazil)

By: James

James — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 14:46:22 +0000

Get real everyone! You lot need to join in the real debate: http://www.secularism.org.uk

By: John

John — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:05:49 +0000

I am now back in the UK now and really looking forward to the celibacy debate on 14 September. We announced last week via a press release that stand-up comedian and broadcaster, Frank Skinner, is taking part in the debate against the motion. In other words Frank is pro celibacy for the Catholic priesthood. It is certainly shaping up to be a very interesting evening.

I have had several emails whilst I have been away asking how people can book tickets. The easiest way is via:

www.conspiracyofsilence.co.uk

Follow the link on the Home page which takes you to the Odeon cinema West End and you can pick where you sit.

I love the different opinions on this blog - some a bit too personal, some mad, some very interesting - keep blogging folks! There's nothing like a good argument and on Tuesday 14 September, two days before the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI to the UK, we will have just that. Celibacy is a hot topic and is not going to go away. Let's debate it calmly and intelligently. After all, we are all Catholics.

John Deery
Writer/Director
Conspiracy of Silence

By: leprechaun_himself

leprechaun_himself — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:25:17 +0000

LivingProof,

Brave words! Confidently written! Will you still be as confident when you are at the hour of your death and it is too late to go back and alter anything? You seem to have embraced a set of opinions that are contrary to what the Church teaches. Why not balance the scale and gather some opinions from the other end of the spectrum, as EditorCT suggests? Why not explore what the Church teaches – not only about Celibacy, but about Salvation – it might even strike a chord with your inner self.
Remember this advice as the years slip by (and they seem to slip by faster as you get older), and it might stand you in good stead in time to save your soul.

What happened to Saul on the road to Damascus could yet happen to you.

By: EditorCT

EditorCT — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:37:09 +0000

LivingProof,

It is not the Church that's hung up on sex – it's people like the Tina Beatties, and Fr John McGowans of this world, in concert with the secular media, who are hung up on sex – not the Church.

As for the rest of your post – nonsense. There isn't a single shred of evidence anywhere that Christ was married and it is simply not true to say that the Gospels were altered to fit in with a political agenda. That's an old chestnut, put forward by pretend Scripture Scholars like Rudolph-the-red-nosed-reigndeer- Bultmann, who had their own agenda – which was to undermine the divinity of Christ. There were plenty of Useful Idiots ready to drink in their theories – don't you go joining their ranks.

And I don't know where you get the idea that Catholics live our lives in fear – baloney! Unfortunately, there are plenty of surveys to show that there are more Catholics in prisons (on occasions!) than any other group – hardly evidence that we worry ourselves to death about the fires of Hell. So, don't be daft.

Why not do some serious reading about the Catholic Faith instead of spouting propaganda? Since you don't appear to believe in God, let alone His Church, why not start with the book I've already recommended to the other atheists on here – Antony Flew's “There is A God” (he was originally an atheist – described on the book cover as “the world's most notorious atheist…”)

Then we'll talk.

By: EditorCT

EditorCT — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:25:44 +0000

Thank you, Cathedralman, for this fraternal correction. Please pray for me.